Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
ISSN 1682-8356
Asian Network for Scientific Information, 2011
INTRODUCTION
Eggshells are waste materials from hatcheries, homes
and fast food industries (Phil and Zhihong, 2009; Amu et
al., 2005) and can be readily collected in plenty. Eggshell
waste disposal contributes to environmental pollution.
Challenges associated with disposal of eggshells
include cost, availability of disposal sites, odour, flies
and abrasiveness (Phil and Zhihong, 2009). However,
they can be processed into saleable products like
fertilizer, used in artwork, human and animal nutrition
and building materials and to produce collagen from the
membranes (Phil and Zhihong, 2009; Amu et al., 2005).
Shell membranes consist of collagen as a component.
The collagen is extracted and has diverse uses in
medicine, biochemical, pharmaceutical, food and
cosmetics industries. These uses minimize their effect
on environmental pollution. The eggshell and shell
membranes make up 10.2% of the whole egg. The
eggshell comprises of calcified shell and shell
membranes including inner and outer membranes.
MacNeil (1997) developed a patent for separating egg
shell membranes from the eggshell. The organic matter
of eggshell and shell membranes contains proteins as
major
constituents with small amounts
as
carbohydrates and lipids (Burley and Vadehra, 1989).
The composition of the egg shell is approximately 98.2,
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